Thursday, June 18, 2009

Video of Terry showing how to pass people in the Intermediate group.He catches Pat early in this one, and then the trains stuck behind the 2 BMWs

More of Terry riding in Intermediate and following me about 1/3 of the way into the video I easily get stuck behind people and don't have the confidence to pass people, especially with all the complaints from the riders.

Terry catching Cru, but it's the end of a session, too bad Cru's camera wasn't recording....

Last session of the day, in Intermediate w/Terry's camera mounted with rear view.

Headed back down to NJMP for the "All Revved Up" event on Lightning, as well as the "Mazda Formula X" event on Thunderbolt.

We make it over to Lightning, and this Monster catches our eyes immediately, so we have to walk over and talk tot he owner ;D

Making our way through we pass some streetfighters from Crank It Cycles in NYC.

then there was the "beyond absurd" section:

there was a small section of the parking lot fenced off, where Jason Britton's Stunt Team, "No Limit" were performing. As well as some kids riding mini motos.

Jason Britton's stunt bike.

The Duc truck was there, as well as some other dealers/manufacturers as well such as Aprilia & Triumph .

We made our way over to the Go Kart Track to check it out, there were several races through out the day.

Here's some video of the events.. starting off with one of the track employees rockin' it old school!

We then made our way over to Turn 7 @ Lightning to check out the Vintage race.. which consisted of 5 riders

And then a modern sportbike race, where we watched our friend, Damien get taken out by another racer.Before that we watched a jackass that blew Turn 7, went into the grass, proceeded to grab a handful of front brake and go down. Then he shows everyone what NOT TO DO when you crash at the track. He throws a little tantrum, throws himself on the ground, then sits up pulls off his gloves, stands up takes off his helmet, ALL WHILE STANDING IN THE CRASH ZONE, and after the corner worker (as well as everyone watching) is yelling at him to move, finally makes his way away from his bike and to the fenceline.

Video of modern race

Late in the afternoon, we finally make our way over to Thunderbolt to see some more 4 wheeled action....

we quickly became bored of watching... and went back to the hotel room to catch MotoGP on Speed. ;D

Friday, June 12, 2009

So it's been a few days after our last trackdays.... I've finally mustered enough energy to post up.

June 6, 2009Saturday afternoon:

We arrive at the hotel in Millville, NJMP check in and then head down to the track to meet some fellow DESMOites that started their DESMO Trackday early, and hopes to tech our bikes for the following day.Sportbike TrackTime organized days at NJMP- Lightning for Saturday and Sunday, and we learn, their policy is NOT to tech until you register, and you have to register & tech the morning of their trackday. Oh well.We go have din din in town and head in for an early night. I develop a migraine headache, take some Tylenol PM to get some sleep.

June 7, 2009Sunday AM

I open my eyes and my migraine is still there. GREAT!!!Head over to WaWa to grab some lunch for the day and head down to the track.

We set up with the rest of the DESMOtown occupants.

it's definitely a family atmosphere!!

everyone's welcomed

Alan's newest toy. Later it develops a leak :(... so he goes out on his Duc.regardless he's fast on anything!

do you think anyone will notice it's not a Duc? Sounds like one anyway with the exhaust lol

hey it's a MONSTER!!!!!!!

when do we go out?? Who needs numbers!

First group isn't on the track until 9 AM!! This is definitely no absolute day! (they get the track going by 8:30am!)

Michelle riding:

exiting Turn 7

riding the Monster ahem.

Terry gets bumped up to Advanced:

then bumped down within 2 laps.... when his sticker flies off the bike.

Sunday eveningDESMO dinner

Had a nice eyetalian din din and hung out with buddiesI'm still not feeling right.

Monday, June 8 2009DESMO TrackdayAbsolute Cycles ran the day for us.

I wake up, get dressed and immediately feel I'm overheated.I'm boiling from the inside out. It's warm and horribly humid out, so I figure it's just the heat.

Again, I'm not feeling well. But the migraine is finally gone.

Get to the track, register and tech in one quick stop

8am. Riders meeting

Raul sporting his Ducati Corse robe that he won at last year's DESMO Holiday Party, he's ready to ride!

I on the other hand can barely make it through the meeting...

at 8:45am the advanced group goes out

I don't remember much more than that other than sweating the whole day. Everyone was sweating. It was nasty hot and humid. Got a sunburned face through my helmet visor. I learned that my new Arai Profile uses a newer visor type than my others, so I can't swap in the tinted visor from my Vector helmet. :( Now I feel like I'm cooking from the inside out, but with a crispy covering. Terry keeps convincing me that it's just the heat.

A little after 11am during the Intermediate session, 2 riders collide and go down, both need transport and we are left with no ambulance so the decision is made to start lunch at 11:30 while the track is shut down.

After lunch, we did a 10minute session for ladies and 2-ups. An opportunity for family members and other loved ones, friends who support us but have never been on the track before. I ask Terry if I can ride the Ninja for the special session... and then don't give it back until the last session of the day LOL. I tell Hannah, who grids up behind me that I'll follow her for a bit, as I have my video camera. I grid up behind Dory hoping to get her on video as well. Plan didn't quite work out, as I didn't see the Slocums coming on Jon's Ducati Indiana... oh shit!!First lap we get stuck behind the Indiana, not knowing if we should pass, it is a standing yellow after all the first lap... I'm hysterical that I'm getting this on video. The session was A LOT of fun, and I think it will be a regular event at future DESMO trackdays.

DESMO Trackday Ladies & 2-up Session

BIG THANKS to Matthew Parry who took thousands of photos of the riders, got AWESOME shots, and lets us download them for free!!These are some of us:

Here's a couple of sessions from Intermediate Group that Terry got on video, I tried to get as many riders in as possible, it's easy when Terry is lapping everyone! ;D (I forgot to pull down the audio, before making this one)

DESMO Trackday Intermediate Sessions

Here's one I made of myself, I added music to this one as it's from 2 bikes and 3 different camera views.

Fever Ride

The day was a success, except for Charlie Clancy who ended up in the hospital, with 2 broken ankles (in several places), and tibia.

Other than this misfortune, the day was run smoothly!! And the feedback has all been great, everyone commenting on the control riders helping out, and we had some of our own DESMO control riders as well. I believe we want Absolute to run our next annual trackday.

We pack up, I'm still feeling more exhausted and boiling and cooked, we go have dinner and drive back home.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I wake up, still boiling, take my temp and it's 102. Damn I did have a fever the entire previous day.Terry leaves work early to take me to my doc, she can't figure out what it is. I show her some WEIRD insect/ possible spider bites, that I discovered on my calf the week before. They looked like 2 blisters, not like anything I've experienced before and they were never itchy.

She entertains me thinking it was a spider bite, but we can't find symptoms that fit. She hesitates about giving me an antibiotic, but she's concerned about my high fever, she's thinking possible early stages of strep, so she gives me the antibiotic anyway, Avelox.

That late evening, after looking up online on webMD.com, searching for possible insect bites, and my symptoms I come across the symptoms of West Nile Fever. Which EVERYTHING fit into. Headache, high fever, pain in the eyes (what I experienced with the migraine).Sorry if this disgusts anyone, but that evening I notice my urine is dark! But I just hope/assume that it's a side effect of the antibiotic I took earlier that evening.

Wednesday:

I try to see my doc, to try to get tested for West Nile, but now she's out sick for the week! GREAT!! :( I REALLY and have confidence in my doctor, as she's not quick to dismiss anything I have to say, and if I'm wrong she will prove it to me, or tell me in a way that I feel that she's at least considering and listening to me. She knows my background and talks to me, treats me as an educated adult.

So I go to the ER instead. Where the doc I saw, quickly dismisses that I have West Nile, because I don't have encephalitis/meningitis. He's thinking of West Nile Encephalitis which is a more severe illness than West Nile Fever. He then tells me "there have been no cases reported of West Nile in NYC". I think my jaw dropped open at that time, " I reply, .....in this year". And I'm thinking, of course there aren't any cases, because doctors like you won't take the time to look into a possibility. >:( (Now I know a little about West Nile virus as it was first detected by a pathologist from the zoo I work at), which is why I could have smacked myself for not thinking about it/forgetting about it earlier to tell my doc as a possible cause.

I show him my possible insect bites, which he brushes off and says it looks like some viral infection, stop taking the Avelox and I'll give you a topical antibiotic for the "bites"/lesions. I ask him if the Avelox would cause dark urine, he doesn't know. And is about to send me home. I'm dressed and ready to leave and he stops me to tell me they found blood in my urine (my fear). S he changes his mind and tells me to continue the Avelox. He then tells me I have a urinary infection, but the infection in my body has nothing to do with the infection on my calf.I just want to smack the dude, and see my doctor!!!!!!!!!!!! I then ask him about the fever, which I can feel starting up again, as the Tylenol I took earlier was wearing off, his answer was "that's going to keep coming back every 6 hours". oh thanks! GET ME THE F OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!